Rotterdam 2 June 1990

 

The image of Prince at the Superbowl, back arched, guitar howling into the wind and the rain, is indelible in many people’s minds. One of the great enemies of outdoor performances is always the weather and Prince combated the elements several times throughout his career. “Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night” is the postman’s motto, and so too with Prince – the show must go on despite the conditions. There are several examples of Prince playing through the weather, but one of the more famous occasions is the opening night of the Nude tour. Rotterdam greeted Prince and his entourage not with respect, but rather with a torrential downpour during the show. Prince played on through the elements, and although this clocks in as the shortest show of the tour, it is a full setlist – perhaps trimmed of any fat to streamline the performance. The weather does little to dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd, and buoyed by this the concert remains another curio in the Prince canon.

2nd June 1990, Rotterdam

There is little in the music to suggest what will unfold later in the weather, and the DAT introduction neatly crosses off a large portion of Prince’s back catalog before the concert commences properly. This is the Nude tour, and as the title suggests it is a far more stripped-back affair, both in sound and performance than the previous excesses of the 1980s. “The Future” sets the standard, built on little more than a rhythm and the rise and fall of the keyboard. The stage remains sparse, and this leaves the Game Boyz in the spotlight more than might be expected – there is simply nothing else on stage to look at. Fans have been unkind to the Game Boyz over the years, but history has treated them well, and in retrospect, they are certainly adding plenty of sparkle to an otherwise naked stage. As for “The Future” it continues to entertain while concealing the extravaganza that will follow.

 

Taking to his guitar, “1999” sounds far more aggressive than “The Future” although it rides the same rhythms. After the darker tones of the previous song, pop-centric “1999” raises spirits, even if its lyrics revolve around a nuclear armageddon. The chant of “party” and Miko’s funk guitar bury the lyrical content under a celebration of danceable pop. If the world is going to end, then what better way to go out than singing and dancing to a groove such as this.

Continuing with his ground-shaking, house-quaking party, Prince brings the ultimate party crasher song with “Housequake.” It is not as essential as the versions heard through 1987, but it is much better than the arrangements we heard in the 2000s. Prince gives a full version, and although it lacks real horns it does retain its central groove and the usual hallmarks that make the song what it is. The “Sexy Dancer” coda works well and has only gone up in my estimation since I first heard it.

Prince draws upon one of his hits to get the crowd bouncing, “Kiss.” Enlivened by the dancing of the Game Boyz, it sounds lighter than previous renditions, yet is still recognizable by its distinctive guitar riff which rests in the safe hands of Miko. Miko has always had a great feel for this song, and it slips and slides greasily beneath his fingertips, its inner funk fully released in his playing. A song that constantly evolves over the years, this version remains a close favorite behind the original in the live arena.

 

As “Kiss” slows to “Let’s Jam” the power of Rosie Gaines is revealed for the first time at the concert. It is a fine introduction, her robust vocal delivery pushing aside whatever detritus may litter the song, leaving her and her alone to dominate the stage. She does relinquish though, allowing space for some guitar intricacies to weave their own sound later in the song, the music, and groove slipping back to leave the spindling guitar sound to grow.

“Purple Rain” is always an integral part of any show, but it never seems to quite fit with the surrounding material. Such is the case here as we go from the synthetic sound of the band to the organic opening chords of “Purple Rain.” The opening chords hang in the air, previous polyester music banished before its glow before Prince plunges into his most famous song. The verses don’t get much of an airing, it is the guitar break where the song starts proper, Prince moving from the opening words of sorrow to full throat roar on his guitar. It’s not as overblown as heard elsewhere, but it does thunder and storm with the best of them, the intensity of any fifteen-minute version contained in this highly refined six-minute take.

From the same era, “Take Me With You” comes powered by a high octane Michael Bland. He drives the song far beyond its roots on the back of furious power, propelling the song to new heights in such a way that I forget all about Prince and the rest of the band. Rosie, Prince, all is lost behind the propulsive revving of Michael Bland. Little did we know at the time, but it was this heavy hitter that would power the Prince sound for the following years.

 

The noodling guitar fails to move the concert forward from here, it’s not until Prince sings the opening line of “Alphabet St” that the concert is suddenly thrown forward again. As always it’s a stop-start affair, Prince building momentum before crashing to a halt in a series of pauses that only heightens the anticipation of the audience. The final funky break finally unleashes Rosie Gaines in all her glory, and for all the fun earlier in the song this is the moment that lingers in the mind after the rest of the music has faded from memory.

The mood changes with a brief piano interlude, a delicate moment that sets the scene for “A Question Of U.” Michael Bland is there from the start before Prince invites us in on the back of the vocal performance. It is a triple threat, Prince’s guitar break cementing the song as a classic as he spins his magic out of thin air, bringing the song to life before our eyes with his deeply personal guitar work crafting an electrifying spell. Lifting “Electric Man” from Muddy Waters, Prince injects it into his own song, at once making it his own as he toys and plays with it as a coda for “A Question Of U.” The lyrics of “Thieves In The Temple” briefly flicker into view, promising more but revealing themselves to be nothing but an empty pledge.

 

Prince intones the lyrics of “Controversy” by way of an introduction to the song and it works surprisingly well. The rest of the song is a gleeful stomp through familiar material, elevating it to the same status as the more current songs in the setlist. When Rosie enters for her “Do me baby” lines all bets are off, and the song revolves around her from this point onward. No bad thing as her voice commands respect, no matter where it sits in the song, and even her simple repetition of a couple of lines is enough for her to take over the concert.

She continues to shine as Prince surrenders the concert to her rendition of “Ain’t No Way.” Aretha Franklin would be proud of her take on it, her voice resonating deeply with the material she is covering. It is only a couple of minutes of the concert, but it briefly reveals the influences behind many of these songs, and one can easily draw the line between Aretha and Rosie.

Prince reclaims the concert with his own version of “Nothing Compares 2 U.” I wait for Rosie to take over, but she remains in the background, the song instead resting between Prince and the audience. It sounds a little shaky at times, but hearing Prince taking the song back from The Family and Sinead O’Connor is a breathtaking moment no matter the context, and this version holds up to the more bombastic versions later in his career.

 

The live arrangement of “Batdance” is far more band-orientated and builds on a solid base of funky guitar. The samples from the movie are irrelevant and it’s the music of Prince that holds my attention far more than the quotes. Tony M. snaps us out of its easy groove, temporarily punching us into the now before the song settles back into its groove for the remaining minute. It’s far from a highlight of the concert, but it is historically interesting as Prince again integrates current technology into his musical palette.

“Partyman” is far more demanding of the listener, pulling us into the concert with Prince’s demand that we hail his reign. The rest of the song is a brisk run through a typical end-of-show jam with each instrument getting time to play while Prince plays ringmaster to the ever-evolving sound. It lives up to its title, Prince is the party man throughout, his sense of mischievousness present as he name-checks some of his albums, including the then-unreleased Black album.

The following “Baby I’m A Star” takes this party jam and turns it up to ten as the band tear through the song, pushing it beyond record and into the unknown with an ever-escalating jam. It’s a wild ride, and one I don’t want to get off. With a torrent of keyboard it is Dr. Fink who kicks off the jam proper, before ceding control to Prince and the Game Boyz. The song continues to undulate, rising and falling on the tide of Prince’s will before Prince pauses to apologize for the rain. From here on out there is no stopping as the band takes off, propelled throughout by the ever-forceful Michael Bland. It is a fantastic showcase for the band, and a timely reminder that Michael Bland and Levi Seacer Jr. will be key contributors for the coming years, their sound already well integrated into Prince’s music. Rosie’s final blast through “Respect” is one last reminder of how great she was, and how dominant she was in Prince’s sound throughout 1990-1992

 

Listening to this concert, one would be hard-pressed to guess the weather conditions if not for Prince’s comment near the end of the show. As it is, the show is far more lively than I remember the Nude tour being, and it is a lot of fun throughout. The concert also cements the key roles of Michael B and Rosie Gaines at the time and serves as a great introduction to their unique talents. There are better shows to come later in the tour, but for an opening night, this concert ticks all the boxes and gives the sodden audience something to celebrate. I’m just glad that I could enjoy it in the dry environs of my home rather than a wet and wild stadium back in 1990.